Groups Form Coalition to Rally for Detroit Grocery Store

A number of Detroit churches, community groups, and labor unions have formed a coalition to develop a health-oriented grocery store in the inner city that would be community-based and employee-owned.

The coalition, known as the M.O.S.E.S. Supermarket Task Force, will function as an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) with the goal of opening a healthy food destination for the community.

"We want to create a good grocery store in Detroit so that we have a better quality of life," said Mary Lou Malone, co-chair of the task force. Malone said most of the city's grocery stores are located far outside of the city's core, making quality food relatively inaccessible to most. Since many Detroiters don't own cars, they are thus forced to buy outdated, low nutrition food at existing local markets.

The new grocery store will require two to three and a half acres of land, or a building between 25,000 and 40,000 square feet, according to the coalition.